High Treason
by frompemberley
Summary: An alternate ending to the season 3 finale.  Arthur and his knights are captured by Morgana's men.
1. Prologue

**I decided to write an alternate ending to **_**The Coming of Arthur Part 2**_**. This is just a short prologue, so the future chapters should be longer. To my sorrow, I do not own Merlin. Please write a review.**

"My sister, this is marvelous. You sit upon the throne of Camelot, and Uther will finally pay for his crimes against our people."

"Yes, but I confess that my mind is not entirely at rest," Morgana replied, worry plainly displayed on her face. "Our soldiers let Arthur escape. How did this happen?"

Morgause laughed dryly. "You think that he will cause us trouble? He has at most three or four men. We have an immortal army protecting this city. There is nothing that brother of yours can do to harm us."

"Arthur Pendragon is no brother of mine," Morgana exclaimed angrily. "He has always supported Uther in the persecution of magic. It is unforgiveable."

Suddenly, a knock sounded on the throne room door. The captain of the army entered, bowing quickly to both women.

"Your Majesty," he addressed Morgana.

"What is the problem?" she asked sharply, not happy to be interrupted.

"We discovered these men trying to enter the castle." Behind him, soldiers dragged in Prince Arthur, followed by five men dressed in chain mail, as well as a manservant.

Morgana's mouth spread into an almost vindictive smile.


	2. Chapter 1: Capture

**Here is the second segment of my alternate universe fanfic. I would really appreciate reviews to let me know if my story's any good. Enjoy!**

The rescue attempt wasn't exactly successful. In fact, Arthur realized that attacking a fully armed castle with five knights might not have been the best idea. They hadn't even made it to the city walls before being ambushed by the immortal army.

As the soldiers led the group to the throne room, Arthur honestly had no idea what kind of reception to expect. True, he had just tried to attack Camelot, but he had always been so close to Morgana. In the week since she overthrew their father, he had had a hard time accepting that she was now his enemy. On top of that, he had only just found out that she was his sister.

As it happened, their reception left much to be desired.

"On your knees before your queen." This order was enforced by the swords pressed to their necks.

Morgana stood, gazing down at the captives.

"Did you really think," she began, her voice dangerously soft, "that you could defeat me?"

"We did our duty to our king," Sir Leon bravely replied.

Morgana's eyes narrowed. "I am the queen of Camelot. Uther Pendragon is weak and powerless against my rule."

"As long as my father lives, he shall be the rightful king. You have no place here, Morgana," Arthur said with defiance. He would always be loyal to Uther, no matter what happened.

"Syrrana kyasethi bushnerdu!" Morgause angrily screamed the magic words. Arthur' fell to the ground, his body contorting in pain. "My sister has every right to the throne. She ushers in a new age of magic and freedom."

Morgana laughed, looking down at her brother's gasping form. "Don't worry Arthur. Uther will be dead soon enough."

She sat down in the throne and addressed the guards, "Take these men to the dungeons. Keep them separated from the other prisoners. I don't want them stirring up trouble."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the captain obediently replied. As they were led from the room, every one of the seven captives wore looks of pure hatred on their faces. Merlin tried to help Arthur to his feet, but the guards stopped him. Instead, the prince was dragged on the floor, not yet recovered from Morgause's spell.

"Oh, and Sir Leon?" Morgana called after them. "I meant to tell you that all the former knights of Camelot were executed as a result of your escape. I hope you're satisfied."


	3. Chapter 2: New Quarters

**Wow, this chapter was fun to write! Probably because this is my first time writing dialogue for Merlin. You know, I really should stop updating so quickly. People might actually expect me to keep this up.**

**Many thanks to the nice reviews I've received so far. Please continue to leave them, because they really inspire me to stop being lazy and actually get something done.**

"Not exactly the castle's best guest room," Lancelot said, surveying dirty, straw-lined cell.

"I've seen worse," Gwaine commented.

"Oh please," Merlin muttered. "This is luxurious compared with some of the taverns you've been in."

Gwaine chuckled and punched Merlin on the shoulder. "I'm willing to bet these guards don't serve drinks though."

"Oh no! How will you ever survive?" his friend retorted lightly.

"I don't think I will, see—"

"Will you two shut up already?" Arthur yelled, aggravated. "We're stuck in a cell with no means of escape, many of Camelot's finest knights have just been murdered, Morgana sits on my father's throne, and all you have to talk about is getting drunk?"

"We're actually talking about the _absence_ of getting drunk, if you want to be specific…"

"Merlin!" the prince screamed again, grabbing his servant by the neck.

"Sorry!" Merlin squeaked, having some serious difficulty breathing. "I'm just trying to lighten the mood in the face of certain death."

Arthur rolled his eyes, but slowly loosened his grip. He sat down on the cold stone floor. The depressed look on his face made it clear that Merlin's attempt to cheer up the party did not have the desired effect.

Elyan, Leon, and Percival joined him. They all seemed fairly resigned to their fate. While Gwaine seemed to thrive off of slim odds of survival, and Merlin still had a few tricks up his sleeve (like magic, for instance), these three had went into the fight knowing that they would probably die, and now they were just facing the consequences. Leon especially was in bad condition. He had just learned that he was responsible for the deaths of many of his comrades, and the thought weighed heavily upon his mind.

Lancelot sat as well, attempting to keep up the pretense that he knew no more than the others. Though their chances were still not good, he wondered what would happen if Merlin used his talents to free them. True, Arthur would learn of his magic, but at least they would survive. Still, Lancelot knew better than to pressure his young friend.

After a time of this depressed lounging about, the prince spoke. "I just can't believe that Morgana could do this. I thought she was a true friend, both to me and to Camelot."

"She deceived us all, my lord," Leon said gravely.

After a moment of thought, Arthur replied, "I'm not sure she did, though. It may have been my imagination, but I don't recall you looking particularly surprised when she took the throne, Merlin." He turned to his manservant, expecting an explanation.

"Um, trick of the light?"

Arthur just raised an eyebrow, inviting him to continue.

Merlin sighed. "I suppose that now is the time when I either tell you that I am a highly talented actor, or—"

"You? An actor?" Gwaine interrupted with disbelief.

"You couldn't act if your life depended on it," Arthur added, agreeing with his knight.

"I resent that. I'll have you know that I can do a exceptional imitation of an old man," Merlin said, thinking back to his time as Dragoon the Great. "Anyway, there is another option I could take. I could…" He hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, and continued, "I could tell you the truth."


	4. Chapter 3: The Truth

**This picks up right where Chapter 2 left off. Please review!**

**Also, if anyone knows of a good Merlin fanfiction that doesn't have any spoilers for the 4th season, please leave a review or send me a message!**

"The truth? Yes, I think that would be generally preferable," Arthur dubiously answered his servant.

"The truth is, I've known about Morgana for a while. For over a year actually, since I, well, kind of poisoned her."

There was something of a collective gasp through the cell. Merlin cringed at the shocked look on Arthur's face. Oh well. If he was going to tell the truth, he might as well tell it all. Except for the sorcery bit, of course.

Before anyone could get over their shock to interrupt, he continued.

"Well she was the source of a spell that was causing the whole of Camelot to get sick and eventually die. Then when she came back after a year of pretending to be kidnapped, she locked me in almost unbreakable chains and left me to be killed by scorpions, cast an enchantment to make your father go insane, summoned an army of skeletons, took the credit when I defeated them, attempted for a second time to assassinate the king, tried to sabotage our rescue of Sir Elyan, gave you a bracelet that ate away at your life force, and tried to get Gwen executed by planting a fake magic poultice. Oh, and she seized the crown and locked us in the dungeon."

Lancelot whistled softly. The rest of the group just sat silently, struck dumb by the endless list of transgressions.

Arthur was the first to recover his wits. "Are you saying that all this happened, and you never though to tell me? Never thought I should know?" His anger was apparent.

"Are _you_ saying that you wouldn't have executed me on the spot for lying about and trying to poison the king's ward?" Though Merlin made his voice sound annoyed, it was a relief to finally have that speech off his chest. One less secret to be kept. Actually nine if you counted them individually.

"I still don't believe that all of that happened without my notice," Arthur replied, avoiding the topic of execution, considering the fate that awaited the group.

"To be honest, I was starting to wonder if you weren't a bit thick."

"Even though they took my sword away, I can still cause you plenty of bodily harm," Arthur threatened. He looked like he was about to lunge for Merlin, when suddenly he stopped. "Wait, did you say Morgana was the one who framed Gwen?"

Merlin nodded, steeling himself for the angry reaction that was sure to come.

"How could she? Does she have absolutely no heart? I thought Gwen was her friend!" Arthur ranted, suitably enraged. However, then he paused for a moment. "Almost as importantly," he continued, "why did that old sorcerer take credit for Morgana's work? I mean, did he have some strange death wish?"

"Don't ask me! I spent the day in the tavern," Merlin said, a small smile on his face.

* * *

><p>A while later, Sir Percival came over to talk to sit beside Merlin.<p>

"Did you really escape from a band of scorpions while wrapped in chains?" he asked.

"Wasn't even armed," came the reply.

The knight suddenly gained new respect for the scrawny boy in front of him.


	5. Chapter 4: The Trusty Sword

**I am so sorry I took so long to update! In my defense, I have been insanely busy with speech and theatre. I know. Not a very good excuse.**

**This is mainly a filler chapter before the trial. ****No idea when that will be posted, but I'll try to write it quickly.**

**Also, as part of my alternate universe, Gwen helped Sir Leon escape but didn't go with him. Morgana doesn't suspect her.  
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**P.S. As you've probably guessed, I don't own Merlin. Or Monty Python or The Princess Bride, to which there are subtle references.  
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"Good morning, your majesty. Did you have a good night's sleep?" Gwen entered the royal chambers, carrying a tray piled with food.

"I slept quite well, thank you," Morgana replied pleasantly. She was sitting at the table, looking over a pile of papers.

"You're doing work this early? But you haven't even eaten breakfast," Gwen set the tray down next to the unusual workload.

"Haven't you heard the news?"

"News?" Gwen asked, confused. "Did something happen during my day off?"

"Arthur and his knights have been captured. They sit in the dungeon as we speak," Morgana said, holding up a piece of paper. "This is the former prince's death warrant."

After a brief pause, Gwen replied, "That's wonderful, your majesty! So they are to be executed?"

"We'll have a trial first, but naturally they'll be found guilty."

Morgana surveyed her breakfast. "Gwen, would you bring me some sausages as well?"

"Of course. I'll be back soon."

Gwen curtsied and left the room, closing the door behind her.

_Captured? How can Arthur be captured? Sir Leon promised to keep him safe! He's going to die, and Morgana's going to make me watch! Why couldn't that idiot just be careful?_

Tears welled up in her eyes as she ducked into an alcove to avoid being spotted by a group of guards. This hidden spot had been home to many private moments with Arthur. She realized that it was the last place he had kissed her before leaving to get that stupid Cup of Life.

_Why didn't I go with Sir Leon when I helped him escape? Then at least I could die along side him, instead of having to pretend not to care._

Sometimes being Morgana's "loyal" servant was just too hard.

* * *

><p><em>The night before…<em>

Gaius slowly exited the cave, gingerly stepping into the dark forest. Arthur, Merlin, and the knights left for the castle ten minutes ago. Even though Arthur had instructed Gaius to stay behind, the old physician decided to risk the prince's anger and follow them anyway. Merlin was in danger, and if there was anything he could possibly do to keep him safe, he had to try.

After walking a few feet into the forest, Gaius realized that he wouldn't be able to make his way without some light, and he didn't have a torch. He paused for a second before sighing and whispering a few words. A ball of light began to glow in his left hand. _It's for Merlin_, he thought, always uncomfortable when he had to use magic.

He followed the trail of broken sticks and trampled plants left by the knights. He wasn't sure what he would do when he reached Camelot, but there had to be some way he could help their doomed cause.

Suddenly he stopped, having entered a large clearing. He looked, confused, at the frantic footprints covering the large area. If he wasn't mistaken, there were even some fresh hoof marks in the ground.

_What had happened here?_

A small pool of blood spilled on the grass soon made that clear. The group had been caught by a patrol. The amount of blood suggested that one of the knights had sustained a small flesh wound, but it wasn't fatal. The patrol must have taken them alive.

Gaius's first thought was of Merlin. Morgana hated him, and he wasn't likely to be alive long under her rule. Gaius was about to rush off to Camelot, ready to do anything to help the boy, when he saw a small glimmer in the corner of his eye. Something metallic had reflected the light coming from his hand.

He found a sword, resting underneath a bush at the edge of the clearing. It looked like it had carefully placed there, instead of merely cast aside in battle. A layer of leaves had even been scattered on top of it, further attempt to disguise the blade.

_Why would someone go to that much trouble to hide a sword in the middle of combat?_

Gaius was confused, but he could probably use a good sword if he was going to storm the castle, and it looked fairly well made. He picked it up and continued on his way to Camelot, in search of his young ward.

**Please review!**


	6. Chapter 5: The Trial

**Behold: the trial! I really enjoyed writing this, and I hope you enjoy reading half as much. Please, please, please review!  
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**Also, last chapter I forgot to thank the anonymous reviewer who recommended the fanfic Healing Spells to me. So...thank you!**

"Her majesty, the Queen," a middle-aged guard announced as Morgana entered the throne room and took her seat. Before her, the seven prisoners knelt, guards positioned at their backs. Behind them there stretched a large crowd of Camelot's inhabitants. A few among them looked genuinely excited at the prospect of the prince's death sentence. However, most of the observers were not there by choice and had no wish to see Arthur sentenced to death.

"People of Camelot," Morgana began, addressing the masses before her, "you gather here today to witness the trial of these seven men, all traitors to Camelot. They have supported Uther Pendragon in his cruel persecution of those who practice magic. This will not be left unpunished. Morgause, would you read the charges?"

"Gladly, sister," the blond woman standing next to her replied. She unrolled a large scroll and began to read, "Arthur Pendragon, former prince of Camelot, is charged with crimes against magic and people with magic. He has conducted raids on the druids, savagely murdered a unicorn as well as countless other magical creatures, and supported his father's execution of sorcerers. Additionally, he led a group of armed men on an attempt to attack Camelot, rising against the reign of Queen Morgana. The punishment for these crimes is burning at the stake."

"And what do you have to say about these charges?" Morgana asked the blond-haired prisoner kneeling before her.

Arthur did not answer, choosing instead to stare at the stone floor in front of him.

"By all means speak. I look forward to your pitiful attempt at an excuse."

The prince looked up at his half-sister. He still did not speak, but there was a measure of defiance in his eyes.

"Very well," Morgana finally announced. "If you will not defend yourself, I have no choice but to pronounce you guilty of treason and crimes against magic."

Standing in the crowd, Gwen had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. _He hadn't even tried to defend himself! _She knew this verdict was inevitable, but it still hurt to see Arthur accused of treason against the kingdom he would do anything for.

Morgause cleared her throat and began to read again, "The men Leon, Elyan, Percival, Lancelot, and Gwaine are all charged of attempting to attack Camelot and opposing the rule of Queen Morgana. The punishment for this treason is burning at the stake."

The crowd believed that Arthur's loyal followers would heed his example and not dignify the charges with an answer. However, to everyone's surprise, Percival spoke.

"We are not the traitors to Camelot," he quietly addressed Morgana. "We did not seize the crown, and we did not imprison the rightful king. The charge of treason belongs to you, and you alone."

The throne room was silent for a moment, everyone shocked at the young knight's daring.

Lancelot chimed in, joining his friend in protest, "We fight for the good of Camelot and will gladly die for the kingdom we serve."

His declaration was followed by a chorus of, "Long live the king! Long live the king!" issuing from six of the prisoners before they were silenced by swords pressed to their necks. The only one of the group who didn't join in was Merlin. He did like Uther better than Morgana, but mostly because Morgana was about to kill Arthur. However, just because Uther was preferable to his daughter didn't mean that Merlin wished him a long and happy life. Besides, no one seemed to notice the inconsequential manservant's silence.

"I find you all guilty as charged. You will be executed with your leader," Morgana declared loudly.

"And that's supposed to be a bad thing?"

"Excuse me?" Morgana glared down at the prisoner who had the audacity to interrupt the proceedings. It was, of course, Gwaine.

"I mean," he continued conversationally, "I thought my mate Lancelot here made it pretty clear that we're all fine dying for Camelot. Considering all the bar fights I've been in, I'm content with making it to the ripe old age of twenty-sev—"

"Guards! Take the prisoner and his four companions back to their cells. I don't want any more interruptions. Leave Arthur Pendragon to witness his servant's trial. Morgause, if you would read the sentence…"

Morgause gladly complied, reading, "The manservant Merlin is charged with many crimes against Queen Morgana, including attempted murder by poison. He has also supported Uther and his son in the inhuman treatment and persecution of those gifted with magic. The punishment for these crimes is torture and death by stoning."

A wave of shock spread through the crowd. Torture? Stoning? Those punishments hadn't been seen in Camelot in over thirty years. A few of the scene's observers were intrigued by the thought, but most were horrified. The castle staff had harbored a soft spot for the clumsy, rather idiotic boy and couldn't imagine him being tortured. In fact, close to half the crowd was so stunned by the harsh penalty that they forgot to wonder how exactly Merlin had almost poisoned Morgana.

Arthur, too, was aghast at Morgause's words. He was about to protest Merlin receiving a worse punishment than he had, but the person in question beat him to it.

"I plead not guilty," Merlin announced calmly.

Morgana, along with the rest of the room, stared at him.

"You can't plead not guilty," she replied, confused. "I was there when you poisoned me. You can't talk your way out of it."

"That wasn't the part I was referring to. Yes, I tried to poison you. But I certainly never supported Uther in his crusade against magic. That would be abominable, not to mention suicide."

Gwen stared at her friend, bewildered by what he was saying. _Suicide? He can't mean that he's a… No. He can't be._

"I'm a warlock, your majesty. I want to join you, to serve you."

Morgana laughed.

"You? A warlock? Don't be ridiculous, Merlin. You're the least magical person I know, next to Uther." Her voice was filled with as much contempt as mirth.

_I reveal the biggest secret of my life,_ Merlin thought,_ and I get laughed at. This is doing wonders for my self-esteem._

The crowd seemed to agree with Morgana. Though many people sympathized with Merlin, they believed that now he was just lying to try and save his own skin.

"I am a warlock," Merlin asserted again. "My father was one, and his father before him."

He paused for a moment, and stuck out his hand in front of him.

"_Hasyeth crimori sa drien,_" the young man whispered, a small ball of fire growing in his outstretched palm.

Many of the witnesses stepped back; a few unused to magic even let out screams.

"Seize him!" Morgana ordered the guards.

As two pairs of rough hands grabbed him, Merlin glanced over at the prince, kneeling next to him. Arthur was unmoving, staring at the ground with eyes blank with shock. Merlin wanted to reach over to him, make him respond. But he didn't need any more proof that he had committed the ultimate sin. _I've betrayed him_, he thought, with a painful twinge of guilt.

**Another cliffhanger! I know, I need to stop doing this.**

**However, the rest of the trial didn't fit very well with this part, so I decided to move it to the next chapter.**


	7. Chapter 6: Betrayal

**Part two of the trial! This picks right up where the last chapter left off.  
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**Also, many thanks to everyone who has thus far reviewed/favorited/put this on alert, as well as the awesome anonymous reviewer who recommended the story Healing Spells to me.  
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"Why have you been working for Arthur when you have magic?" Morgana demanded, glowering down at the prisoner before her. "Countless times I have tried to help the cause of magic, only to be defeated by you! You are a traitor to your own kind."

"Please…" Merlin took a deep breath, and then began again, "Please, do you remember when we defeated the Afanc in the vaults years ago?"

Morgana paused for a moment, wondering what relevance this could possibly have. Finally, she replied, "Yes, I remember."

"You told me you knew my secret. You told me you knew I was in love with Gwen. And you were right."

At this, Arthur looked up for the first time since Merlin had declared his magic. The pain in his expression was obvious, and it almost stopped Merlin. However, the things at stake were far more important than Arthur's precious feelings. So he continued, trying to forget how much he was hurting his friend.

"Every time I've stopped you from taking control of Camelot, it was because your attempt would have hurt Gwen. If I hadn't poisoned you, the Knights of Medhir would have killed her. Please understand. I couldn't let that happen."

By now Merlin was begging her to accept what he was saying.

But Morgana was yet to be convinced.

"Even if that is true, you have still protected Arthur countless times. Why?" she demanded. "Why are you loyal to Uther's son?"

Merlin sighed. "I foolishly believed a dragon's prophecies. The Great Dragon promised me Arthur would restore magic to Albion, but I have since realized that it was all a lie. You, your majesty, are magic's greatest hope." He bowed his head before his queen.

Morgana looked at her prisoner for a long moment, contemplating how to react to this statement. Finally, she addressed her maid.

"Gwen, do you share these feelings? I know you have had affections for Arthur."

Gwen paused for a moment, then stepped forward from the crowd to kneel beside Merlin. "Your majesty, it is true that I have recently been involved with the former prince. However, I…I have had feelings for Merlin for much longer. I had no idea he felt the same way."

The entire crowd watched in awe as the humble maid confessed to feelings for both Arthur and his servant. Several people who had been uninterested in the political trials stood enthralled as this potential scandal unfolding.

"Merlin," Morgana began solemnly, "in the past we have certainly had our differences. However, I cannot punish a friend of Gwen's or a fellow sorcerer. As much as I never thought I would say this, welcome to Camelot!"

Gwen and Merlin embraced each other as the pair of guards released him. The crowd erupted into half-hearted cheers, the majority rather unsure of what had just happened.

Upon Morgana's command, Arthur was led out of the throne room in chains. He did not resist the rough hands pulling him along, nor did he look back at the happy couple.

* * *

><p>"Lancelot, would you sit down for one minute? Your pacing is giving me a headache." Elyan told his friend who had been walking the length of their cell for the past quarter of an hour.<p>

"I'm just nervous is all," Lancelot replied. "They should have been back by now."

"I know that, but worrying isn't going to help anyone."

Lancelot sighed. The other knights just didn't understand. _Morgana could be tearing Merlin's limbs off for all we know, and Elyan thinks I shouldn't be worrying?_

"Relax," Gwaine said, placing a hand on Lancelot's shoulder. "Merlin probably just decided to give Morgana a piece of his mind."

"You mean like you did? Besides, that's exactly what I'm afraid of. Merlin can be an idiot when he wants to be and doesn't understand the concept of keeping quiet."

The cell door opened, abruptly ending their conversation. Arthur stumbled in, and the door closed again behind him.

"What happened to Merlin? Where is he?" the knights ambushed him with frantic questions about their missing comrade.

Arthur barely acknowledged them, slowly slumping against the stone wall. He turned his head away from them, as though to shut himself off from the world. The knights were stunned. What kind of horrible thing could do this to their strong leader?

Leon, the one who knew Arthur best, crouched down next to him. "Where's Merlin? Did Morgana hurt him?" he asked cautiously.

When Arthur finally lifted his head to face the other men, his eyes were not brimming with sadness as they had expected. Instead, they were filled with a bitter mixture of hatred and pain.

"Merlin's a sorcerer," he said, his voice trembling with rage and disbelief.

"What?" Gwaine asked quizzically. This was the last response he had been expecting.

"He lied to us," Arthur continued. "To all of us. He joined her. And…he took Gwen." His voice caught on the last sentence as he tried to suppress the memory of the woman he loved hugging his best friend.

"That's impossible. Merlin would never do that," Elyan declared.

"I saw him do magic! He betrayed us!" Arthur was yelling now. He thought that Merlin had cared about him, had cared about Camelot. But now he could see that the past four years of friendship had been a lie, as evil and malicious as the sorcerer he had once trusted with his life.

**Confused? Don't worry, everything will be explained. In the meantime, ****please review!**


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